Erdogan hopes cease-fire continues in Idlib, Syria

By Berk Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish president on Friday said Ankara reached a cease-fire deal with Russia regarding northwestern Idlib city of Syria, which would hopefully bring an end to a war between Muslim parties.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks came after Friday prayers in Istanbul, where he commented on operations of Turkish Armed Forces in Syria and deadly coronavirus outbreak around the world.

"We have had martyrs. We finally sat at the table yesterday and agreed on a cease-fire as of [Thursday] midnight. We hope that it [cease-fire] continues," Erdogan said.

Erdogan noted that he hoped this move would bring an end to a war between Muslims, adding that further details would be discussed mid-March.

On Feb. 27, Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield in Idlib city as regime aggression led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians who took shelter near Turkish borders.

In line with the operation, thousands of regime forces and many of its military hardware – including battle tanks, war jets, helicopters, air-defense systems, and howitzers – were neutralized according to the Turkey's National Defense Ministry.

On Thursday, after the hours-long meeting, Turkey and Russia agreed on a cease-fire deal in Idlib city.

Erdogan also commented on the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 which has claimed thousands of lives across the globe since the epidemic broke out in early 2020.

He said citizens should refrain from having direct interactions with each other and not shake hands in a bid to prevent a possible outbreak in Turkey, where there has not been any confirmed cases so far.

The virus originated in China's Wuhan city last December, and has since caused more than 3,381 deaths, and infected 97,993 people globally, according to the World Health Organization.

* Writing by Ali Murat Alhas in Ankara